Once We Were
by SteamChesh
Summary: Evelyn Trevelyan was destined for the Chantry, since her parents had already had kids before her, her parents did not see her, of all people, becoming a force to be reckoned with. A fortress and now an army under the command of a rogue? Was this wise?
1. Chapter 1 - Surprise, Surprise

Blackwall couldn't help but stare at the rogue who carefully and quickly stole his heart. It wasn't immediate, but over the course of time, he started growing more fond of her. And all she had to do was look at him. And he swooned. Girlish Enthusiasm indeed. Maybe he would say that to her?

He sighed, "Maker. What have I become?" He lowly chuckled to himself.

Her boyish cut hair that he had met her with was now a bit of a messy bob. It framed her face just perfectly, with her oak brown hair and her earthy green eyes. Every time she looked at him, there was a rogue strand of hair in her face. Or more importantly in his way of seeing her.

She had a fire in her, people were fools if they didn't see it. When he first met her, he thought she was careless, almost naive. What a fool he was to think that she was naive... Now he knew that the fire in her was all consuming. When she put her heart and soul into life, being passionate about life. Especially when she came through the rift with Dorian at Redcliffe. Dorian shrugged the "dark future" off his shoulders because it was never going to happen now that they were here. But Evelyn- the Inquisitor, didn't- couldn't in fact. She strove everyday to hone her skills. And he saw that. And often he offered to be her sparring partner, just to have some time with her, as well as training... But training with the rogue was just the bonus.

He remembered when he first realized his heart was gone to her. They were fighting a Hurlock Alpha. Big monstrous darkspawn with a two handed club that could crush a man with one swing. And it almost did. It almost crushed him. Physically first, then emotionally.

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><p>He had his shield up, blocking the arrows from the other darkspawn, but when he heard that blood boiling war cry from the alpha, he knew he was done for.<p>

A blur ran in front of him, the rogue taking the end of the swing in her rib cage, hurling her body against the mountain side.

The wind was so knocked out of her, she couldn't even yelp in pain.

People say that the worst events happen so fast that you don't have time to react. To Blackwall, the worst events moved so slowly that your body doesn't react fast enough. Even with adrenaline running through your veins.

He saw her plummet against the mountain and blood dripping slightly out of her mouth. That wasn't good. Meant internal bleeding.

His vision went red and he blew the war horn that Evelyn gave him. Her fathers, she said. He gave it to her as she was to become a warrior, but it gathered dust as she was never the sword and shield "kinda gal" she winked at him when she said this, almost as if he was to keep her slang an intimate secret, another act of small rebellion that he loved about her. But it was also another nail in the coffin. He couldn't stop himself from caring about her, but he needed her to stop caring so much about him.

Dorian had barely enough magic to put a barrier around them, much less to pick Evelyn back up.

Blackwall hit the darkspawn with his shield, disorientating it, then he quickly beheaded the alpha and Cassandra signaled to get Evelyn up again, she and Dorian would take care of the rest of the group.

He nodded and quickly ran to the rogue.

"Trevelyan?" Stay professional, Blackwall, stay professional...

There was no response.

"Evelyn...?" No, no, no...

Still there was no response.

"Damn it all, Evee, talk to me!"

She weakly blinked, "did... Did I miss anything?" She slightly smirked and looked at him, "Maker's balls... That hurts..." She was in great pain, didn't take a healer to figure that out.

"Why did you do that? You could've..." He moved a stray piece of chestnut hair away from her face.

"Andraste's tits." She smirked, wiping the blood away from her lip, "as if I would let a darkspawn take that satisfaction."

Blackwall chuckled and picked her up, "now, now. That's not lady like. We'll get you to Dorian and he'll give you a potion." She was in good spirits at least. That had to count for something...

"Lady like? I haven't been a lady since..."

"You're our lady." He informed her as he picked her up.

"You're too kind." Evelyn groaned. She needed a potion bad. She covered her mouth with her bloody cough. "Ha. Well. Looks like I will be ended here."

"Don't you say that. This will not end you. I refuse to believe that." Blackwall frowned.

"Makers breath!" Cassandra ran over to Blackwall, ripping open Dorian's small pouch on his side, un-corking the bottle.

Elfroot. Evelyn would know that smell anywhere. Blackwall sat her down and tilted up her head.

Evelyn painfully chuckled, "don't see what the big deal is." She tried to shoo the three of them away, as if they were hens being overworked by a shadow.

None of them would budge, so with a slight frown, she surrendered to her companions and let Cassandra slowly tilt the potion into her mouth as Blackwall held her head and Dorian did what Dorian did best: made sarcastic remarks and tried to de-stress the situation.

Which did wonders for Evelyn. Sometimes she wondered if she and Dorian were the closest friends, even if she did hear Dorian call Blackwall a 'big hairy lummox' she had to laugh.

"It was brave what you did." Cassandra said gently, "stupid, but brave."

"Well," Evelyn said, adjusting herself with an elbow and a small movement of her body, one that almost caused her to collapse, "Wardens have to be looked after too. They can't be the ones sacrificing themselves all the time." She stared into Blackwalls eyes.

"A noble goal." Cassandra nodded, she may not agree with the Wardens, but they did serve their purpose and she wasn't going to insult the Inquisitor's belief.

He wanted to call her stupid, he wanted to call her brave, he wanted to move that hair that was in her face again. He wanted to... Act on his desire to bring her into a kiss. But several factors were going against them.

The potion started taking effect and she looked less in pain and more relieved.

"Just remember, Inquisitor," Blackwall said, finally finding his voice and the words, "that right now the world needs you, not the Wardens."

Evelyn frowned, but got a nod from Cassandra.

"Indeed." Cassandra agreed. "And only you can close these rifts."

"Surprise, surprise." Evelyn said with a roll of her eyes and sarcasm thick in her voice.


	2. Chapter 2 - Challenge Accepted

**I just wanted to say that every review, favorite or follow gives me morale! :) If you guys have an idea, I don't bite! **

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><p>After that initial run in with the Hurlock Alpha at the storm coast, Blackwall had to talk to her. But he never got the chance. Her self-sacrifice at Haven. Her reappearance at they're camp. There was just too much going on... Until they found Skyhold. He had been trying to think of something- anything he could say. But of course could find no words to describe how he felt, or the time. If he wasn't busy helping Dennet with setting up the stables, then she was busy getting her own stuff straight. Talking to her advisers... Always took most part of the day.<p>

When she asked how he liked Skyhold he told her that he wanted to "walk the ramparts and examine their fortifications". What a pathetic excuse. He couldn't just say, 'I need to talk to you alone?' could he? Maker's Balls, of course not.

"We'll be able to see Corypheus from miles away." Was that the only thing he could think to say?

"He thinks us beaten. By the time he finds us, we'll be legion." Evelyn smirked. She was looking forward to killing that bastard.

Blackwall nodded, "I know soldiers, I know our soldiers. Corypheus made a hundred enemies when he kicked down our door." Then he looked at her in the eyes, "when he came after you, he really made it personal."

He continued looking Evelyn in the eyes, "I swear I'll take that twisted bastard down. Even if I have to die to do it." He meant every single word.

He saw something in her eyes stir. Her stare became hard, "I'm not losing anyone to Corypheus." She began to poke him square in the chest, as if she was personally offended, "**_especially. Not. You._**"

He knew she meant every word as well. He wanted to have feelings for her openly. He really did, but... She was the Inquisitor now. Or was that just an excuse he was using?

He shook his head, "you can't afford to think I'm special." He was speaking hard truth. For her and for him. "I'm a soldier no different than a soldier lost at Haven." She scowled, he knew he was hitting her core. This... This was going to hurt her. But he had to do it. "I am fond of you it's true. But we can't let this go any further. This... Whatever you want this to be is impossible."

Her hands shook with pain, rage. He knew the feeling well. She would numb over with time. She was strong, tough. Beautiful. He hated himself for doing this to her, but it was for the best.

At least that's what he told himself.

Then in the blink of an eye she calmed, "why is impossible?" She asked her green eyes challenged him, "I know you have feelings for me." And there was the verbal challenge.

He didn't have the heart to step away, not now. "My lady, don't." His tone was forceful, but he wasn't angry. Not at her. "You're the Inquisitor," his tone softened, "the Herald of Andraste."

He took a barely a moment to gather his thoughts, he couldn't let her say anything else, not when his resolve was so weak when he looked at her.

"Even now people flock to your banner to serve." He began to step away, "to die." He walked a few feet from her and then turned back to face her, "we must remained focus on the task at had."

There was a moment of painful silence. Just the mountain wind howling in their ears.

"I care for you just as much as I care for them." He would see how she felt, wouldn't he? "Why can't you just accept that?" He couldn't just push her away like this, right?

Now it was his turn to be offended, "I wish it were simple. Believe me, I do." He pleaded with her. "But it's not. We're both bound by duty. Our lives aren't ours to live."

He could tell he struck a nerve. She was angered by that statement. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to see her walk away... Or would he just chase after her? But she stayed there. Angry. But still looking at him.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." And with that he walked away.

He sighed and looked at the ground. Soon the stone turned into stairs and then earth. Dennet would need some help setting up the stables.

He told himself that's where he would go. And he did. But not before stopping to look up at where he had left her. And she was gone.

Perhaps it was for the best.

It took longer than it should've to get from the battlements to the place where Dennet wanted the stables.

When he got to the where the stables would be there was a small piece of folded parchment tied to a dagger. His dagger. When was she able to get that? When did she get there? He looked around and saw everyone going about their personal business.

He unfolded the parchment. He knew the penmanship. He also knew that he had set something in motion that he couldn't stop now.

It said only two words.

_Challenge accepted_

In the strangest way, it made him smile. She hadn't given up yet.


	3. Chapter 3 - Like Maybe Iron

_Our lives aren't ours to live._

The blasted words continued to ring in her head as she practiced on a dummy. She growled at the dummy in front of her as she slashed and hacked at it.

"I think you need mannequins made of harder stuff." Cassandra. Her voice rang with amusement, "like maybe iron."

Evelyn wiped her forehead. She had been hacking at this dummy for what seemed like an eternity.

"Hey." Evelyn tried to act cool.

Cassandra raised a dark eyebrow and looked at the dummy behind her, it had been nearly hacked to pieces.

"Something is bothering you." She said simply.

"Yes." Evelyn admitted with a heavy sigh, sitting on the ground, leaving her two daggers in the dummy. "Something somebody said to me recently."

"That somebody being Warden Blackwall?"

"Yes." Evelyn admitted glumly.

Cassandra sat next to the Inquisitor, "may I ask?"

"We are both bound by duty." She repeated, "our lives are not ours to live." She threw the knife in her boot into the ground, the anger from her throw making it go halfway in the blade.

"I disagree." Cassandra looking at the knife, "we are bound by duty, this is _true_. But if these are not our lives to live then whose lives are they?"

Evelyn could only nod. Cassandra needn't preach to the choir.

"In this life I strive for happiness in my duty. It is hard, maddening at times, but I am happy where I am."

"Blackwall doesn't-" she sighed, "doesn't seem to feel the same."

"Then he is a fool." Cassandra simply said, "you are a strong woman. Stubborn at times. But we made you Inquisitor for several reasons." Cassandra nods, "I know what you did when you blocked that attack from the alpha Hurlock."

Evelyn threw another knife in the ground, "I-I just..." Her thoughts were scrambling in her brain, as if she could go in a hundred directions, "I saw the Hurlock for the swing, and he didn't have his shield up... I acted. Without thinking. But..." Evelyn growled as she ran her hand through her messy brown hair, "I couldn't let him take the hit. Why he was that close to the blighted thing I'll never understand."

"No? I thought it would be obvious." Cassandra raised an eyebrow as she saw Evelyn take another blade from the back of her armor, Evelyn had a bad habit of not taking off her leather armor, even when in Skyhold. Cassandra wondered about that sometimes.

Evelyn was about to throw it into the ground again but stopped as her face fell again, "I see." Her throw was forceful, angry, "blasted men."

"Well... Here's something that might stray your mind." Cassandra sighed, hoping it would, "_where_ do you keep all those daggers?"

Evelyn laughed and pulled out another one, throwing it into the dirt, next to its brothers and sisters.

"I can't tell all my secrets, Cassandra. But I will give you a small tip." She gathered up her four daggers and pulled the whet stone from her pouch. A whetstone that Blackwall gave her, she gripped it in her hands as she sharpened one dagger at a time, "I never go anywhere without one."

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere. I can't be caught unaware. For a rogue, that spells the makings of a bad ending." She tried to think of an example, "it's like... Going barehanded against a Hurlock." She shrugged. Maybe not to that extent, but it was the only thing she could come up with.

"Perhaps one day I'll show you." The rogue added with a small smile, "wanna start some trouble? I need something to do while we're waiting for Varric's 'contact'."

"What do you have in mind?"

"There's a mercenary fortress that I was eyeing in the Hinterlands, prime real estate." She had a mischievous glint in her eyes, "and if course since I want it for the Inquisition, the current tenants have to be kicked out."

"We could always use less mercenaries around." Cassandra agreed.

"And I could use a break from killing Darkspawn to killing something more-"

"_Human._" Both women laughed at the same time.

"Then let's go Inquisitor." Cassandra said, getting up and offering a hand to her.

Evelyn looked up at Cassandra after quickly putting her daggers away, smiled at the Seeker and then gripped the woman's forearm and pulled herself up.

"Who did you want to take with us?"

"How about... Dorian and..." She was still frustrated at Blackwall, but he was a skilled warrior, but Iron Bull could take arrows to the chest and shrug them off like they were nothing, it was a tough decision, she didn't know Iron Bull's skills... Or was that just a pathetic excuse her mind was making? "Blackwall. He is skilled, and I know his skill-set. However, I'm taking Iron Bull on our next run."

"He should like that, I'm sure." Cassandra chuckled as she nodded and went to go get the companions, "I'll meet you at the stables."


	4. Chapter 4 - Nervous and Tired

The pain in his chest was maddening. He was half tempted to rip his beating heart from his chest and offer it up if it would help, but it would just leave one more dead soldier on the list. He sighed as he looked around for something else to do. Keep his hands busy before he ripped his hairs out.

He heard familiar footsteps. Light, cautious, then nothing. He looked at her for a moment, she was watching him, watching his movements, his body language. He had attempted to smother his feelings for her, but he couldn't. He would need her to do it. He would need her to kill the relationship before it even started.

"I want you to come with us." Her tone was more asking, gauging his reaction, when he went to leave to gather his gear, her hands tensed. A small reaction on her part, but he could read her small moves. The battlefield had given them time to watch how everyone reacted to the littlest things, her fingertips twitching meant that she was nervous about this whole encounter, "there's a mercenary fortress in the Hinterlands that I would like to acquire for the Inquisition. And I would like you to come with me-_ us_." She corrected herself.

The fact he could make her that nervous made him smile, even if he was smiling on the inside. He let a smirk grace his face.

"Why not take Iron Bull? He is a capable warrior." He pointed out. His statement was logical. His statement could also be seen as bitter, but it wasn't.

Yet he made it sound almost... Teasing. Her eyes told him that she didn't want to say it, but then she smirked and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'really?'

Yet he waited. And she said nothing.

This went on for a moment and before he could say something, _she_ caved. She turned around, her back to him, then she turned her head and looked at him, "you know why."

He nodded and waited for her to walk away before he pulled out the note she had written from his pocket.

_Challenge accepted. _

Then he went to his temporary quarters to get his gear, and while he was looking for the war horn she had given him, he found a quill and a little bit of ink.

He laid out the parchment and scribbled below her two words a few of his own.

_This is a game meant for two._

He let the ink dry as he tied his belt and sword on, and then tied the war horn on that. By the time his gear was all on, the ink was plenty dry, and he folded it, and put it in his pocket. He would think of a way to get it to her without anyone noticing.

He met the group at the gates and Evelyn was sitting atop her chestnut mare, beautiful and simple, and Cassandra and Dorian were on their respective mounts. Blackwall's armored charger was there as well, on the far side, next to Dorian.

Blackwall looked at Evelyn who didn't even bother to hold in a mischievous smirk. She had done it on purpose. It's not that Blackwall hated Dorian, but they had their differences. Their... _Distinct_ differences.

Blackwall got on his horse and they started to ride out. This was going to be a long few days.

They arrived at the camp closest to the mercenary fortress and decided it would be a good idea to rest not only the horses but themselves as well. It was near dark, and Evelyn knew they were all very tired from the traveling.

After pulling the bear jerky from her pack and devouring that with some apples, cheese and water. She bid the others a goodnight.

"How does she eat that?" Dorian asked, "I'm sure we could just catch a bird and make a decent meal."

Cassandra chuckled, "The Inquisitor has a lot of personal matters on her mind." Cassandra poked the fire with a stick as the Inquisition patrols changed groups, "besides, hunger doesn't care what you eat. As long as it fills that void."

But Blackwall had heard enough. Evelyn had been thinking about the words he had said to her. He felt bad enough as is. Knowing that she was having it drag her down... He sighed and took the note from his pocket.

He knew that after every ride she went to sharpen her blades, or go to the nearest source of water. So, he went to her tent, which was the farthest of the tents, and put the note on her sleeping roll, walked out and went to his tent and laid down his sleeping roll. He wasn't hungry, but he was tired.

They all were.


	5. Chapter 5 - Missing

**Thank you for all of the follows and favorites! I really appreciate it! But remember, I don't bite! Would love to hear from you! :) **

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><p>Her skin smelled of the water she bathed in. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want to ruin the moment. He dragged his rough fingers across her bare shoulders and watched her skin shiver. Her soft airy sounds sent lightning up his spine, knowing that he was doing this to her knowing that-<p>

Someone ran into his tent, waking him up. He was mad for a split second until he saw it was Cassandra with an expression that he had seen only once... At Haven during the attack.

He was in little more than his small clothes, but he didn't feel as if he was exposed. But he saw that look and quickly began to put his armor on, strangely breeches was the first thing that came to mind... He would ask questions later, right now they had to get with the Inquisitor...

"She's missing." Cassandra's voice rang out like steel meeting steel.

... To make a plan of action.

His hands put his gear on with expert precision that he would never have other wise.

He quickly exited his tent once everything was on and he met a concerned Dorian who was pacing back and forth. The Hinterlands was a wide area.

"Cassandra go to the north, she might have just gone ahead of us to the fortress, Dorian, go to the nearest Venatori camp, they might have taken her prisoner." Blackwall's mind was clear as crystal, Evelyn was in more danger than he wanted to comprehend, "I'll take my horse and scout around the area and go further out from there." He looked at the sky, it was almost day break. Almost.

"If you haven't found her by breakfast, come back to camp and we'll make another plan of action."

Dorian and Cassandra nodded as they went to their respective directions. This was looking very grim.

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><p>She remembered sharpening her blades and putting them away before she got clubbed in the head. She head pounded as she opened her eyes for a moment and saw they were dragging her.<p>

She didn't hear anything when she was sharpening her blades. How did they catch her off guard?

She looked around, she hadn't been to the Hinterlands in a while, so her brain was a little fuzzy on her location, but she was a few hours or so from camp. At least on foot. Maybe they had just entered Witchwood?

What they didn't realize, and what she didn't realize until now, is that her heels were making a trail. It was faint, but she had hope.

She needed to plan her escape and fast.

Then she faded out again.

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><p>Cassandra was the first to get back to camp, followed by Dorian. There was no sign of her anywhere. They only hoped that Blackwall had better luck.<p>

When they heard a horse approach the camp, his face had hope, though it was mostly consumed by worry.

"I found the whetstone she used on her blades and I found a faint trail. It would be faster if we all went on our horses." Blackwall announced, as he gripped the whetstone and made a silent vow.

The other two companions got on their steeds and they rode off, following the Blackwall.

Soon, Cassandra saw the trail and got off the horse, "two people on both sides of these lines, she was being dragged. Indicates they knocked her out or paralyzed her. She's being taken prisoner." The Seeker concluded, getting back on her horse.

What no one didn't want to consider is that they had killed her and taken her body back to... Maker knows where.

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><p>When they finally stopped dragging her they tied her to a chair. She felt her hands being tied behind her back.<p>

They would pay for that. She just had to wait for an opening. And with just four people? She could definitely take these guys. The right moment was all that was needed.

Evelyn carefully examined each person. There was one near the entry way, the look out. But his foot gently, almost silently tapped on the ground. Was he bored? Most likely a veteran then. An interrogation team, possibly torture?

They were giving her a pat down, finding all of her knives. The two at her hips were the first to go. Then her boots, then the two at her back.

They gave her one final pat down just to make sure they got everything.

After the last pat down she waited. But there was nothing.

Evelyn looked around at the person who was examining her knives. From his own gear, she could determine that if anyone was going to slice into her skin it would be him. From the slight wrinkles in his eyes, she could tell he was older. Took good care of himself, so... Antivan, maybe? If he was Antivan, then she was dealing with The Crows. Just her luck.

The two over on the side were watching her. A female and a male. The female's hands were twitchy. Her eyes were full of hunger. Blood thirsty. Not yet seasoned.

The male was a little more seasoned. But there was still an innocent glimmer and eagerness to his eyes.

Not much older than Evelyn was, she was certain. And by the soreness around her forearms, the less seasoned ones were gripping her arms and dragging her.

"It's clear for now." The lookout called, barely looking back to the one who had collected her daggers.

He nodded and took out a blade. It was very thin, a stiletto from what she could tell. The metal was red, so possibly drakestone? Bloodstone?

"Inquisitor. We have watched you for a long long time." The knife wielder turned around. The accent was definitely Antivan. Crows.

Wonderful.

"Take no offense. We were watching the Inquisitions movements because, let's face it, who isn't?" The man looked at Evelyn who just silently watched, "however when we got approached with a job, we couldn't say no. Killing you slowly would set the Crows for life." He shrugged, "I left you alive to tell you it's just business. Between you and I, is just business. You and someone else, however, I cannot say."

Evelyn shrugged, "can't make everyone happy."

"This is true. You've made a lot of allies, as you have made enemies." He shrugged.

She had to stall. She knew how observant everyone was in her party, she knew they would find her. She also was trying to cut the rope with a break in the chair. Trying to do it discreetly on the other hand, was much harder. That and whoever tied it knew their rope and their knots. Her chances of escape were slim.

"No more than you have, I'm sure." She said, adjusting her position, and rubbing the rope on the splintered part of the chair. She didn't know if it was doing anything at all, but she could hope, "however. I must tell you this."

"You are telling me something are you?" Antivan arrogance.

"This thing between you and me, I know it's business. You don't have to tell me that." Evelyn shrugged, "you might have to explain it to Lady Nightingale though."

That got the attention of the other two.

"I've seen her work. She eradicates one weak link after the other after the other. So let's bargain, yeah?" Evelyn leaned back into the chair, the rope was harder than expected. "You and me, we want things going back to normal. I don't like the hole in the sky any more than you."

"The hole in the sky is troubling you are right." He shrugged, "but I've been told to torture you and kill you slowly. Tis my job, you understand."

As he began to bear her the thin knife in his hands she began to put pieces together, if she wanted someone tortured she would want to watch.

One of these things is not like other, one of these people are not a Crow.

The lookout was a veteran. Didn't even look back when she talked. Definitely a Crow.

The torturer, definitely a Crow. He held a knife professionally, a detachment in his eyes. This wasn't personal, there was no anger, there was no hatred.

Which left the other two to the side.

The male was definitely a good candidate for the question of-

The man sliced into her cheek.

She groaned but held it in. The young man slightly flinched. His eyes held a sort of... Pity to them. He held himself like the two veterans, or at least attempted to copy them. He was a Crow. Not exactly of the same stock, but a Crow none the less.

Then she looked at the female. This had to be the client. To test her theory, Evelyn waited until the blade touched the same cheek. It was easy to scream out in pain as the cheek was still sore and bleeding from the first cut.

But the look in the woman's eyes was all she needed to know.

Evelyn noted how the woman looked satisfied, but still hungry for more. More blood, more violence. She looked at the torturer and made a movement with her head.

The Crow then turned around and punched her other cheek.

Evelyn groaned. Her adrenaline was running through her system. She almost began laughing. The whole thing was very funny.

A few more punches and slices and she was giggling almost madly.

"Perhaps I am missing something that's funny?" The torturer quizzically asked.

Evelyn laughed, "it's funny because" more giggles, "because I know who your client is!"

The Crow arched an eyebrow.

"Your client is a coward! Someone who wants blood but doesn't want to get their hands dirty." She was baiting the woman, "your client is too weak to do this herself. So she pays someone experienced to do it for her."

The woman bounded across the room and punched Evelyn in the lip, making it bleed.

"You idiot." The woman said to the Crow, "you told her everything."

Evelyn spit blood out of her mouth to the side and laughed some more, "no. He didn't. You did." Then she grinned, "you would **_suck_** at Wicked Grace."

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><p>They had to travel on foot to continue following the trail. When they heard the first cry of pain, it was faint but it gave them hope. They had just entered Witchwood.<p>

"The apostate stronghold?" Cassandra asked.

"That is a good suggestion. It's out of the way, fairly well hidden..." Blackwall agreed, "if the trail goes elsewhere, we'll know we picked the wrong place."

As they ran towards the first icicle coming from the ground, following the trail left for them.

That's when they heard a scream so loud it scared the birds.

"Damn it all." Blackwall muttered under his breath as he ran towards the apostate stronghold, no longer bothering with the trail.

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><p>The woman had stabbed Evelyn. Not fatally, but the Antivan Crows had packed an interesting dagger that sliced right through armor that wasn't metal. It was painful that was for sure.<p>

Evelyn felt the cool blood turn warm underneath her armor. It was almost soothing in the strangest of ways.

That's when the look out casually went over to the veteran and told him something in his ear. The veteran only sighed and nodded. The young man seemed to catch on the subtle hint as well.

That was Evelyn's cue as well.

"Perhaps you've finally gotten what it takes, hm?" Now she was definitely stalling, "do you have what it takes? What did I do that garners torture?"

The woman slapped Evelyn and dug the dagger in further, piercing more skin and causing more blood to come forth. Evelyn let out a groan of pain, and further giggling.

"You killed my brother. Because of your bloody hunt for Venatori-"

Evelyn laughed, turning her head to the side and spitting out blood again, "everyone has a sibling, or a father or a husband in the Venatori, but the Venatori are willing to die for what they believe in, even as misguided as they are. He had the very power to lay down his weapon and we would've taken him into custody."

The Crows seemed to get the hint and melted into the shadows of the cave. The woman, however was seething in her anger, failing to notice anything. The not yet seasoned male was able to slip outside quietly and tell their new guests what was going on.

"Inquisitor!?" Cassandra shouted, as she neared the entrance of the cave.

Evelyn took this as her cue to spit in the woman's face and as the woman was trying to wipe off the spit and blood from her face, Evelyn gave her a nice solid headbutt.

"In here!" Evelyn groaned. That was not a good idea. Oh, Maker her head ached...

Cassandra closed the distance between the female and Evelyn and pointed her sword, "step away now."

The woman almost did what she said, but Evelyn shook her head, "no, no. If she wants to kill me, she has every right to try. But she won't. She stayed out of the Venatori for a reason." Evelyn looked at the girl who could only glare, "your brother no doubt killed many by his own hand. I do not claim to be any saint, in fact I must bring to the table that Andraste herself killed many people before being burned by your wonderful, glorious Tevinter Empire." Evelyn said the last four words sarcastically. "Do not dare to think to murder me when your brother killed many as well. Think of their families when you think of him. Know the sadness he has brought to them. I've made widows, orphans, and widowers, but so has he. Remember that when you think of your precious brother."

The woman appeared to be angry and moved and she sobbed before hiding her face in shame and ran off.

"Just as I thought." Evelyn relaxed, blade still wedged in her chest.

"Eve- Inquisitor, this will hurt." Blackwall warned, going for the blade with one hand and gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

Evelyn gulped, metallic taste went down her throat and she looked in Blackwall's dark hazel eyes. Her green eyes never left his as he pulled the dagger straight out even as Evelyn cried out in pain.

While Blackwall had pulled out the dagger, Dorian had untied Evelyn from the chair.

"Stop the bleeding and then we'll give her a potion." Blackwall barked, quickly un-buckling Evelyn's chest piece to reveal a bloody tunic.

Cassandra brought out a bottle of salve made from Elfroot and Embrium and bandages, "perhaps it is best if I do it. The Inquisitor has nothing I don't have myself."

Blackwall stopped as he was about to begin to lift up the tunic, "I-" he was embarrassed now, "you're right." He nodded and quickly left, going to the entrance of the stronghold.

Dorian put down two potions and followed Blackwall out.

"I thought you might be more comfortable with me bandaging you, especially with the wound so near the chest." Cassandra said with a gentle tone as she allowed Evelyn to take off the tunic and allowed Evelyn to use it to cover herself while she put some salve on the stab wound.

Evelyn nodded feeling the burn of the salve going to numbing, "thank you." She held the tunic to her now bare chest, "I appreciate the thought."

Cassandra slowly and carefully wrapped the wound, "you won't be able to fight for a day or so, even with a potion. So I suggest we get you to camp and rest."

Evelyn groaned. She hated this waiting process.

Cassandra only chuckled as she helped Evelyn into her bloody tunic.

Evelyn took a potion in hand and downed the potion. Potions have an usual taste. When drank slowly, it tastes awful. But when downed like a nightcap, it was tolerable.

Evelyn thought adding honey or a whiskey to the potion would make it taste better, but she didn't dare try it on the field.

Cassandra helped Evelyn get her armor back on, buckled and strapped and helped the Inquisitor up.

Evelyn nodded at the Seeker, "thank you. Let me collect my armory." She commented with a smirk.

As she began to put her daggers back into their slots, "my dear, this may be a good tool in your arsenal."

The would be torturer.

Evelyn turned around and Cassandra pulled her blade out again. Evelyn put up a hand, "no. They were just doing business."

Cassandra scowled, she didn't like it, and when Blackwall turned around his face conveyed he didn't like it either. It seemed mild amusement was on Dorian's face.

He offered the blade that had stabbed Evelyn to her, hilt facing her.

"You may have found it is good for stabbing, no?" He chuckled.

Evelyn could only sneer. It was painful, most certainly. And personal experience did make sure that the quality of the blade was... Exquisitely painful. But maybe a sharp stab to the side would bring an enemy down?

It certainly wasn't a deal she could pass up.

"What's the catch?" She asked before taking it.

"Don't come after the Crows?" He offered.

Evelyn took the blade, "deal."

And with that, the Crows walked off.

"If they cross me, I'll kill them with their own blades." Evelyn mumbled, securing the blade to her person. She would get Harrit to make her another sheath. Or maybe another set of armor entirely.

Maker knows she had the materials for it.


	6. Chapter 6 - Sharpening

They made their way back to camp, Evelyn in the lead, on her insistence. She didn't want to pain her shoulder or burden anyone else with getting on or off the horses. So she walked slightly ahead and downed another potion when she was feeling dizzy or light headed. She would change her bandages when she got to the camp.

By the time they had gotten to camp she had wanted to do a few things, but felt tired, which was acceptable, given the circumstances.

So she moved her tent closer to the group and went inside it. Before she sat down on her bedroll she saw the note and grinned.

The game had begun. Who would buckle first? The Warden? Or the thief?

Evelyn grinned through pain as she began to slowly had to take off her armor. It was painful, but she had done it, she put it to the side and took out another roll from underneath her pillow and unrolled it.

An assortment of daggers. With six empty slots. She took the knives from her armor set, then from her belt, and then from her boots and put them all in their slot.

Which left her new blade without one. She pulled out her sleeping blade. She called it that because it was the blade she had slept with it, the dagger resting underneath her pillow, fingers gently gripped around it.

She nodded, and traced her finger along the edge of the curved blade and nodded.

She took out another whetstone and began sharpening it.

"Makers balls. Where's the armory?" Blackwall's eyebrows were raised as he looked at her blade collection.

"In my tent." She grinned, "what brings you here?" She continued to sharpen the blade, not quite looking at him.

She gently blew off the dust from the blade and motioned for him to sit. Which he did, rather awkwardly.

"I noticed you haven't treated your wounds on your cheeks and lip yet." He stated, bringing out the salve from a pack.

Evelyn chuckled and wiped off the now sharp blade and put it down.

"You're right. I haven't. The cuts will probably leave scars. Which, truth be told, I'm okay with." She shrugged. "My lip will probably heal fine though." She added, putting her new blade where her sleeping blade went.

Blackwall nodded but said nothing.

Evelyn sighed, "stop dancing." Blackwall looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "that's what you told me when I wouldn't answer your first question to me... And that's what I'm telling you now." Her voice got low, "not that I mind your company but why are you here?"

Blackwall tried to look in her eyes, but all he could see was the blood on her shirt. "You could've-"

"You wouldn't let that happen." Evelyn matter-of-factly stated, Blackwall seemed taken back, "if you didn't let me die to the Hurlocks, then you weren't going to let me die to a group of Crows." There was a small smile, "When we go on the battlefield together, I trust all of you with my life and it works the same way around." She stared at him in the eyes, she also wanted to trust him off the field with more than her life.

He stared back at first, but when he felt his resolve begin to wither away, he cleared his throat, "it's good to see you're alright." He nodded and left the salve in her tent as he got up and left.

Evelyn let out a sigh, "_now_ who's making 'this harder than it has to be'?" She grumbled under her breath.

She continued to sharpen the rest of her blades in a more agitated manner.

That's when she heard voices, she heard Blackwall's gruff voice, she couldn't hear his words, but she suspected that he was grumpy because she wouldn't listen to him.

Then she heard "perhaps you can talk to her."

"Blackwall, if she didn't listen to you, then why would she listen to me?" Cassandra joked.

Evelyn sighed. Why did people talk about her like she wasn't there? Maybe they thought they were being quiet, but she was a rogue. If she concentrated she could hear the tiniest of sounds, notice the tiniest details.

"I don't like not being able to get through to her-"

Cassandra laughed, "you brought this on yourself, Blackwall." She neared Evelyn's tent, "she's not the only one wearing armor."

His silence told Evelyn everything needed to know. She couldn't help but smirk. Blackwall was too much a gentleman to fight back. It was fairly amusing.

"Inquisitor. May I come in?"

"You don't have to be so formal." Evelyn chuckled, taking out yet another blade to sharpen.

Cassandra came in and sat down, "how are you feeling?"

"A little tired, but my blades need sharpening." She shrugged, "thank you." She added.

"For?"

"You saved my life."

"As you had saved ours time and time again." Cassandra smiled, "I'm proud to fight with you."

Evelyn smiled a little bit, then chuckled, "I'm glad. It's an honor fighting with you as well." She motioned outside her tent, "what was that about?"

"Blackwall is just concerned. As we all are." Cassandra shrugged, "but I know if there was something wrong you would tell at least one of us."

Evelyn stayed silent. Would she? Nothing had come up yet. Cassandra sensed her silent questions and just smiled, "I... Perhaps it is none of my business... I... Wouldn't recommend a relationship with a Warden because... Of the taint in their bodies." Cassandra held a hand up when she saw Evelyn about to speak, "but he makes you happy. It is not you I need to convince. But you're the one who told me that happiness matters. I just thought _I would remind you_ of that." The Seeker winked.

Evelyn scoffed and began sharpening another blade, "Tis not me you need to convince." She blew off the dust and then wipe it off, convinced that she had sharpened enough blades for the night. She would sharpen more before hunting. And then once again after they ate breakfast.

"I know." Cassandra sighed, she hated incidents where she could do nothing.

She saw that Evelyn had put up her roll of daggers and put one particularly large dagger underneath her pillow.

Cassandra felt safe in the camp, but she wondered if Evelyn ever did. Cassandra would ask Evelyn more about her past when maybe they weren't all so tired.

With a simple nod, Cassandra got up from her sitting position and left Evelyn's tent, "goodnight, Inquisitor." She said on her way out.

"Goodnight."

Evelyn faced the back of her tent and slowly took off her bloody tunic. She made a mental note to attempt to clean it in the morning.

She looked at her bandages and saw that they were dark red and when she laid a finger on it, the bandages were dry. The wound had stopped bleeding for quite sometime. For this she was thankful.

She took out her own bandages, drank another potion, and took off the bandages, put more salve on her wounds, and re-wrapped her wounds with clean bandages.

Once she did that, she put on her extra, clean tunic, and with the sound of crickets, slid her hand under her pillow, wrapped her fingers around the handle of the dagger, and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7 - Before The Fortress

**Every favorite and follow helps my morale, but I especially like hearing from my readers! **

**A shout out to dekicobee for your kind words on the last chapters! :) I hope Evelyn continues to entertain! :) **

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><p>There was slight rustling during the night, but nothing out of the ordinary. Evelyn rolled over, dreaming.<p>

Blackwall was talking to her, she couldn't understand him, but he was reaching towards her, and suddenly she was drowning. No- being dragged down. Hands were gripping her heels, tears were streaming down her face, he went to the ledge and their fingers touched, the hands were gripping her calves now. She was able to wiggle out of the hands of her assailants just a little bit and Blackwall had gripped her hand.

He only nodded and pulled.

She jolted awake, she felt her face, tears had in fact went down her face at one point.

She shook off the terror from her dream and noticed that it was early morning. She dug through her pack in an effort to make her nearly forget her dream. She found the last of her packed food; more jerky, an apple and more cheese. She shrugged and ate it nearly whole. She didn't think she was that hungry. If she was on her last packed meal, then no doubt the others were as well. Perhaps it was time to hunt.

She would bathe after they had taken the mercenary fortress. She preferred spring water to the water at Skyhold anyways.

Maybe she could get a head start? Hunting for lunch could prove more fruitful if they have a victory under their belt already.

She put the plan in motion by taking off her tunic and bandages, rubbing more salve on it. Now that the wound had sometime to heal, it was mostly sore, and could open if moved too quickly or too much. She slowly rotated her shoulder and massaged the muscles.

She sighed, that was as good as it was going to get. She rubbed more salve on it and re-bandaged it. Then put the clean tunic on and began to slowly buckle her leather armor back on. She saw that it was nice and secure before putting on her boots and her small armory.

With the thought of picking off others from a distance she grabbed a longbow and a quiver. She did tell the Inquisition scouts that were doing their rounds to make sure that they tell her party where she was headed.

She headed up a small hill and saw her first target: a Venatori mage. If she could take him out before he got in the battle, it would already tip the scales in her favor.

So she loaded the bow, she had seen them, but they had not seen her. And she had a plan when they did. She knocked the arrow on the bow and pulled back.

She grit her teeth as she didn't think the muscle would burn this badly. She had to aim quickly and fire before her arm would give out entirely.

She managed to hit the mage square in the heart.

"What the-!?"

Another arrow made sure the mage was dead.

"Archers!" They shouted, trying to fortify their position. Evelyn could only smile, even as pain shot through her arm as she knocked another arrow and aimed at their assassin's feet. It was important to take him out of the the game next. Even if she could just pin him.

Which is exactly what she did.

Her arm couldn't take it anymore. She drank another potion like it was water. She was relieved when she felt numbness in her arm and felt she could last the day. She pulled out her new blade and one of her reliable blades.

The assassin had found her quickly once he had pulled the arrow from his boot. She would've almost not seen him, if he had moved only just slightly faster. She rolled just barely before his blades connected with the rock.

If she didn't deal with this assassin soon, she was going to be overwhelmed. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea in the first place.

They locked blades and for a moment she thought her arm was going to give out. Just when it was about to completely give up, she kicked the assassin off her and spun around, blades facing out. It had connected to something, as the assassin went down.

She heard the Warriors cry out for their companion and before he could say anything, she quickly kneed him in the jaw, and stabbed him in the chest.

The assassin was dead, but as of course would happen, the lack of reply from their companion made them bear their shields and come bounding around the corner. She had to retreat. Maybe she could pick one or two off?

She threw down an invisibility grenade at her feet and began to tactfully retreat. She didn't realize how much of a toll that wound was costing her. But just as it wore off she saw her three companions.

She smiled, "hey. I was wondering when you'd get to the party."

"Oh you know us, fashionably late." Dorian joked.

Cassandra shook her head with a small smile, but Blackwall remained frowning.

Can't please everybody, I suppose.

"I've got a couple of shield users, and one big guy, but the mage and the assassin of the group are taken care of." She informed them.

"Ah!" Dorian chimed, "then you've made it easy for us!"

"I try." Evelyn chuckled before putting down her bow and quiver next to a rock an wiping the sweat off her forehead. It's not that it was hot, but she could tell she had over exerted herself too soon.

But there was no turning back now. She would fight through the pain. Was her only option.

She got out her daggers again, and Dorian summoned a barrier. Mages had slowly made her feel protected. She wasn't invincible she knew that, but it helped.

She threw another invisibility grenade down and spotted her next target as he raised his sword and charged carelessly.

She ran up behind him and jumped, digging both daggers into the exposed part of his neck, while Cassandra shield bashed him and while he was dizzy and bleeding out, she gave him a quick death.

She nodded at Cassandra and they pulled their weapons out at the same time and the man fell to the ground.

Steel on steel rang through the air. She looked over and Blackwall was parrying another sword user. That could wait. However, the big man was charging straight for Dorian and Blackwall.

Evelyn gave a hand signal to Cassandra and she shouted at the man, just after Dorian's well timed fear spell. The man came charging after Cassandra and Evelyn ran like lighting to get around him without being seen.

Armor was covering this man head to toe. To find a weak spot Cassandra would have to distract him. Evelyn knew she wouldn't be able to do that forever.

Cassandra realized her plan and put her shield up, right when the brute's massive hammer came down with controlled force. Not enough to stun or break her arm, but enough to be a clear test. Cassandra knew his next swing would not be so gentle.

But when he raised his hammer, that's when Evelyn saw it. A weak spot. She threw down a stun grenade and he went dizzy. She had to act fast, and that she did.

She ran behind him and stabbed him in the under parts of his arm. The only place where armor didn't cover him, she yanked out her blades just in time to be thrown off of him.

She landed on her back and rolled to get back up on her feet. He wasn't going to fall for that again.

Dorian and Blackwall were done fighting the guys with swords and shields, they then turned their attention to the girls fighting the big one.

Dorian conjured a small fire spell underneath the brute's feet. Once the spell went off, a flash of fire reached up and quickly attached itself to anything that wasn't metal.

Cassandra waited for the right moment, as did Blackwall. When the fire was beginning to go out, Blackwall blew his war horn.

Evelyn couldn't help but grin as he used the horn that she gave him. Her spirits picked up and she attacked with fervor.

Cassandra give him another shield bash and stunned him. Evelyn took this moment to rip off the man's helmet. They needed all of the advantages the could get.

That's when she heard the war cry. The Alpha Hurlock flashed in her mind and as she threw the helmet to the ground she scrambled to get away.

Her move however was too bold. She realized she had been too slow to get away and she grabbed her daggers to face the hammer.

Just as she turned around she was tackled to the ground. She heard Cassandra's shouts and Dorian's spell casting. Then she looked up.

"What did you think you were doing?" Blackwall asked, the worried anger taking over his face, "are you suicidal?"

"No more than you." She joked, but Blackwall was hearing none of it.

"You don't have a luxury of having a shield, _Evelyn_."

She raised her eyebrows. She had made the man very mad. She could tell. He usually never addressed her by her name otherwise.

He helped her up.

"At least I got it off Cassandra and Dorian for that moment." Evelyn motioned to the fight. It looked like he was almost done with what Evelyn called a tantrum. He swung his bloody hammer over and over into the ground in different directions.

When he was done, Dorian summoned bolts of lighting and Evelyn made her entrance back into the fight by turning her blades out and turning herself into a deadly spinning top.

Blackwall held up his shield, as did Cassandra, but he couldn't help but stare at the rogue. He watched her hair twirl with her as she spun. He wondered if she enjoyed making him worry. She would've been killed if the hammer had hit her. As the Hurlock almost did.

He was thankful that he saved her in time. Even if he did hold onto her a bit tighter and for a bit longer than was actually necessary.

After they had hacked away at his guard, Blackwall let his anger out and he gave the brute a shield bash, and another, and another before slashing his head clean off.

The body fell to the ground and Evelyn sat down on a rock, sweat dripping down her face. But she looked satisfied.

"That was bracing!" Dorian sounded satisfied as well, "if all your parties are like that, invite me to all of them!"

Evelyn laughed, "you'd be the first to know, Dorian."

"Perhaps we should take the next few fights more carefully?" Cassandra sheathed her sword with a chuckle, "at least none of us came out with injuries."

Evelyn chuckled, "none that weren't already there anyways." It was a joke, but it earned a small scowl from the two warriors and a slight head shake from the mage.

"Do try not to get yourself killed." Dorian slightly chuckled.

"Famous last words, right?" She remembered him saying those words to Felix, the magister's son. He didn't die to anything that he could prevent. The taint ended up over taking him. But not before giving Tevinter a piece of his mind, and letting them know that the Inquisition was changing the world for the better. She wish she knew the man more.

After a moment of drinking the water in the small pouch, she felt a bit better and not nearly as sweaty, she went to stand however, and her legs almost gave out before she sat back down again. The others didn't really look like they were ready to continue anyways.

"Bear, fox, ram or bird?" She asked out of the blue.

"If I have to eat another piece of bear jerky I'm going to strangle someone." Blackwall grumbled, taking some water from the pond and splashing his face.

"Her bear jerky isn't that bad." Dorian defended Evelyn, "however a change of pace would be nice."

"A nice ram stew then this evening?" Evelyn asked with a slight smile. She had chosen bear because it was quite a lot of meat and she had been right.

"Sounds wonderful." Cassandra sighed with a smile.

"Now... To just take the fortress." Evelyn said looking across the bridge.


	8. Chapter 8 - Overexertion

Taking the mercenary fortress was an all day adventure. It was mostly abandoned, but had brutes.

By the end of ending the first one they realized how long this was going to be. But they couldn't stop. Not when there were so few actually in it.

But by the second brute, Evelyn was out of healing potions and in serious pain. She had to last one more brute. Just one more. Just one more and she could fall down.

This was her goal. If she backed out now, she'd never come back to it again. She nodded and motioned for her companions to go first. She didn't want them to see her hobble. But in the back of her mind she knew that they had seen her at her weakest, but didn't say anything.

It seemed like forever when they got to the third and final brute.

When it was finally over, everyone was in ragged breaths. They sat down and basked in their victory.

Evelyn sent Dorian and Blackwall to go to the camp and send word that they had taken the fortress and it needed to be populated so the bandits wouldn't take over again, the Inquisition needed as much land as they could get.

Cassandra laughed as she sat down on the steps. It was quiet. Calming.

"Victory is ours." Cassandra smiled, and looked to the Inquisitor who had fallen on her face.

"Inquisitor!?" Cassandra rushed to her side, and found that she was still breathing. Barely, but it was a good sign.

She quickly dragged the Inquisitor to a part of a crumbling tower for some privacy, and stripped her armor off. The tunic was stained, but it the blood hadn't soaked the shirt. Cassandra was thankful for that.

She took off the tunic and covered Evelyn's chest with her tunic. At least the Inquisitor would get some privacy.

"Makers breath, Inquisitor..." Cassandra huffed, "we tell you not to kill yourself and what do you do?"

She grabbed the Inquisitor's pack, which was out of healing potions but had the bottle of salve that Cassandra had given her the previous night. "You never get rid of anything do you?" Her tone in this remark was thankful.

With the limited supplies that she had, Cassandra rebandaged Evelyn and waited for the boys to come back. She hoped it would be soon. She was growing more nervous by the hour.

It was early evening when Dorian and Blackwall had returned and reported there success. They had gotten to the camp and reported that the fortress had been taken.

The squad on duty had already sent word to Cullen, as they had extreme faith in the Inquisitor. All they had to do was wait out a few days.

That's when Cassandra told them of the situation.

"She pushed herself hard today. We should let her rest." Cassandra tried to soothe her own nerves as well as Blackwall's.

"We'll take watches until Inquisition forces arrive." Blackwall massaged his temples, "I'll take this watch with her, until then we need to find something to eat."

"Foxes should be plenty this time of year." Cassandra nodded and left to hunt.

"I suppose I'll go with her. It's always good to have the buddy system I suppose." Dorian shrugged then he grinned and gave Blackwall a wink, "besides, maybe you can talk to her and get... Whatever it is you have out of your system."

Blackwall frowned, and Dorian just shrugged, "suit yourself." And walked away.

Blackwall sighed heavily and walked back up to where Cassandra had made a cot for the Inquisitor.

He put his sword and shield next to him gently. He didn't want to wake her when she was resting. He tried to pay attention to the entry way to the tower. But... For a moment he watched her. She had rolled on her side, facing away from him, but the tunic clung to her hourglass frame. He watched her breathe, peacefully at first.

He smiled and closed his eyes, for a moment, just listening, to the birds, the crickets... Evelyn's breathing became rushed.

He opened his eyes like he had been struck with lightning and rushed over to her side.

"Evelyn?" He asked gently, shaking her, hoping to wake her up.

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><p>Blackwall shook her violently, his eyes plagued by the red lyrium, his voice causing echoes. He was angry, he had every right to be, "you failed us!" He shook her harshly, his fingers digging into her wound, "Evelyn? EVELYN LOOK AT ME!"<p>

"No... No, I can't... I..."

"Why did you fail us!?"

"I didn't... I just..."

"Why did you fail me!?"

"I didn't!"

He lunged at her, an expression on his face she didn't recognize.

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><p>"Don't you do this..." He begged, shaking her just a little harder.<p>

She shook a little, as if to break free from his grasp. She began to softly sob in her sleep.

"I can't watch this... Not again..." She mumbled, tears slowly dropping down her face.

Blackwall watched, almost in horror as she crumbled to pieces, how could he help?

The only way he could.

"Evee, it's only a dream." He gently pulled her next to him, petting her matted brown hair, putting stray strands of hair away from her face, "It's going to be alright, Evelyn."

She seemed to wake herself up and drew a dagger out and had it at his throat before she realized.

Her eyes widened in slight terror, "Blackwall..." She mumbled, dropping the dagger with a loud clang, "I..."

"No need to say anything." He whispered, he forced her to look him in the eyes. She couldn't, not at first.

But after a moment, her green eyes looked into his dark hazel eyes. At first they were filled with fear and her hands clasped onto him like he was the last thing on this Maker green earth. Then she closed her eyes and an understanding passed between them and she put her forehead on his.

"I won't pretend to know what you went through, and I won't ask you what exactly happened. But just know that I will never leave." He said, just soft enough for her to hear.

With those few words from him, her body began to shake from holding in sobs.

"Evelyn." His tone was a combination of forceful and gentle.

"I..." Her head fell into his chest and she sobbed.

He hated that he could do nothing for her. He hated that there was no way to help her past her traumatic experience. So much rested on her shoulders, and he could do nothing to ease the burden. Had this always hunted her?

He held her tighter as his resolve to try and stay distant crumbled to pieces. He knew he couldn't pull away. Not now. His hands gently rubbed her back and slowly she began to relax in his arms. His heart thudded in his chest. He was worried she could hear it even through the armor, but when he stopped rubbing her back, he felt that she was breathing softly again. He couldn't help but smile as he gently adjusted her frame to where she would be more comfortable. Her head was gently perched on his shoulder and he didn't think to move her just yet.

An hour passed and his eyes opened. He didn't realize he fell asleep. He quickly glanced to his shoulder to see Evelyn was still sleeping there peacefully. He could only smile, and tuck another stray strand from her face.

He was becoming quite fond of doing that. He gently moved himself, and her answer was a pathetic groan as if to say 'no', but she was in no shape to argue.

He gently picked her up, and put her back on the make-shift cot. Then picked up the dagger from the ground and put it underneath her 'pillow'. At least she would feel much safer.

As he was finished making sure she was comfortable, he sat down in the same spot as before and waited for his companions to arrive.

Which didn't take too long. Dorian's whistling was a welcome tune to the silence, and Cassandra was the first to check on Evelyn. It seemed Dorian was cooking tonight.

Did he even know how? Blackwall sighed, beggars can't be choosers.

"Has she said anything?" She asked.

"No." He lied right through his teeth. What had happened between them was private, and he was sure Evelyn would've done the same, "barely even budged."

"Thank you for looking after her." Cassandra said, "if I know Cullen, we should be getting troops here in a day or so. Until then we can make supply runs if we must."

Blackwall nodded, "looking after her was an easy task." Another lie. It had been difficult to look into her eyes and see terror, to hear her voice full of fear, to see her cry. "But I needed to do it." That was the truth. In truth he had wanted to talk to her, but now was not the time. And he didn't know what he would say. "How was hunting?" He asked, wanting to get off the topic before he revealed more than he should.

"Fruitful." Cassandra smiled, hands on her hips in victory, "though hunting with Dorian is... Trying. He isn't terrible, he just talks. A lot."

Blackwall sighed, he knew that only too well. "Sometimes I wonder if it would kill him to keep his mouth shut."

"It seems we shall never know." The Seeker joked, "alert me if she wakes up, I have to watch Dorian to make sure he doesn't burn our food." With that she walked away.

Blackwall stared at Evelyn for a moment and slightly smiled. For the moment she was breathing peacefully. Her shoulders shivered and she released a small groan.

"Mmm?"

He went over to her, "Evee?" He asked softly.

She rolled over and looked at him, her sleepy eyes opening, "Blackwall?"

"None other." He smiled.

"Oh good." She tiredly laughed, yawning and wiping her eyes. Then her eyes stared into his again and she remembered what passed between them. She let a soft smile out, and reached out to touch his face, "thank you."

"I would never leave you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"I know, but an Archdemon would have to go through me first, if he wanted you." She let her slender hand slide down his face and she gently picked up one hand, it seemed so large compared to hers. He had a warriors hand. Made up of scars, broken bones, callouses. But she wouldn't trade these hands for the world. She squeezed his hand gently and in a small intimate moment put a finger on her lips and then to his.

There was no doubt now that his heart totally and utterly belonged to hers now.

As if there was any doubt.


	9. Chapter 9 - Patience

**2 updates for this story! I've been working on this one since ideas have been pretty much nonstop. Haha. As always, I look forward to hearing from you guys! **

* * *

><p>He couldn't stop looking at her the same after she had planted the kiss on her finger and then to his lips. He couldn't bring himself to attempt to smother his feelings, but Maker knows he tried. In that single moment everything had changed.<p>

"She told me what you said to her." Cassandra sighed, poking the fire with a stick, the food had been saved, thanks to Cassandra. But Blackwall had been right, Dorian had no idea how to cook.

Blackwall stayed silent but looked at Cassandra, his look curious to where he was going.

"We are bound by duty." Cassandra repeated, the words rang in his ears, he frowned, "our lives are not ours to live."

"They had an effect on her." Cassandra said simply, not sure where she was even going.

Could he live by those words anymore? He told her that he would never leave, but what exactly did that mean?

"If she told you, then surely she told you what she thought." Blackwall grumbled, he wasn't angry at Evelyn because she had told anybody, he was angry at himself for saying those words to her. Angry at himself for not adhering to what he said. But he couldn't pull away now. Not after he saw her suffer from those nightmares.

Cassandra nodded, "she did. Evelyn... It's not very often that she talks to me about what's going on in her mind or in her heart, but when she told me that she disagreed with you, I agreed with her." The Nevarran looked at eyes that were harder than steel, "if our lives are not ours to live, then tell me, who lives them for us?"

Blackwall sighed, "perhaps... Makers balls..." Where did he even begin to cover up the mistake he had made?

"I am not angry at your words or you, Blackwall." Cassandra went back to poking the fire, "attempting to get her to see the Inquisition and the Inquisition alone is a noble goal. But... She sees everything. When a problem needs fixing, she fixes it. She puts all of her effort into solving each and every problem. She doesn't chase her tail, she's not constantly distracted." It was as if Cassandra was killing his doubts, "the only person I see here making a mistake," she didn't need to say the last few words, "is you."

He had already felt those words in his heart. But he could tell that now was not the time or place.

"I know." Was all he could say.

"It's better you heard it from me than Dorian." Now, the woman was smiling.

He couldn't help but let a small laugh get passed his throat. "That." He pointed to her, "is an awful curse."

With the tension alleviated for the moment, Blackwall threw in a stick that Cassandra had collected on the last run.

"You rather fond of him, aren't you?" Dorian asked. Due to the last time Evelyn was alone she was kidnapped an put them all in a fear frenzy. So Dorian had agreed to play Evelyn's buddy while she went to the river.

It's not as if he was... Interested in the female gender.

She sighed and went underneath the waterfall. It wasn't as harsh as she thought it would be. She looked at her wound on her shoulder and saw that it had slightly healed. The wound would most likely turn into a scar.

Just another tally mark on the body... She thought to herself.

She came out of the waterfall, her head the only thing above water, "I'm fond of all my friends." She knew this game Dorian played, "Even Cole and Vivienne... In their own way." She shrugged.

Dorian looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "you know who I'm talking about."

"Oh! You mean you!" She teased, "I'm very fond of you." She chuckled, "but don't get any ideas!" Through the water she pretended to cover herself up, though with all of the blood lilies, spindleweed, and Lily pads almost covering the water, it really wasn't necessary.

"My dear girl! I would never get any ideas!" He sounded playfully offended, "you wound my honor."

"So there is honor in Tevinter?" She winked.

"Low blow!" He laughed, "there is a certain kind of honor. My kind of honor is very rare."

"Don't need to tell me twice." She mumbled, letting her messy brown hair fan out in the water.

She didn't want to talk about Blackwall. Not when he 'couldn't' be with her. But how much of that was true? Especially after what happened when he had seen her after her nightmares. She hadn't told anyone. But he had seen it. And he didn't run or move. Bastard was sending mixed messages. But she knew that when he had accepted her small token of intimacy... He did want to be with her. But... Why didn't he say or do anything?

"Men are complicated creatures." Dorian said outloud, almost as if he could read her thoughts.

"What makes YOU say that?" She winked. Playing this like she was giving him advice on the heart.

As if she could.

"Well... Take Blackwall for instance." Dorian said looking at the sky, the moon had come out not an hour ago, "Warden, obsessed with helping the Inquisition. Perhaps at first it was 'makers balls, there's a hole in the sky'" he was attempting to do his best imitation of Blackwall, and the suddenness of it almost made her lose her gut in laughter, "but now, that the hole in the sky is healed, even somewhat, it's now about you and Corypheus, when Corypheus does come to an end, and I do say when, where do you think he will go?"

She hadn't thought about it. "I don't know." She shrugged, "I don't really know what will happen after. I'm too concerned about killing him."

"Well I do." Dorian crossed his arms and leaned on the tree, "he won't go anywhere."

"Oh?"

"It's hard to not see how he's completely fallen for you." Dorian shrugged, "the man and I may have very striking differences, but he has very good taste in women." His tone was playful again.

"Perhaps you must be thinking of somebody else. I'm the farthest from good taste."

"My dear girl if you suggest that Sera is the epitome of what 'good taste' is, I will have to drag you back to Skyhold and shout very loudly that the Inquisitor has gone mad!" He sounded slightly agitated, but he kept an equal tone of playful. "but perhaps you just need to be shown."

She noted his serious tone and looked at him instead of the constellations. Neither said anything for a long time, and then he smiled, gathering a towel.

"Now come on our before you get all pruney." He placed the towel on a tree branch closest to her tunic and armor. It was only decent of him to place everything in a vicinity of each-other.

When he had walked away, she had ran to the water and wrapped herself in a towel. She felt the distinct tingle of barrier magic on her skin.

She looked up to see Dorian's eyes closed, his posture was as if he had just turned around. "A barrier. For safety."

With that he turned back around and let her dry off and get changed. When he heard the clinking of her armor buckles he knew it was safe to turn around again.

She plopped down on a stump that was nearby and began to dry her hair off.

She sighed, "you're right about Blackwall." She admitted.

Dorian's face lit up, "I know I am. I just wanted you to realize it." He gloated.

"But... I just don't know what to do. Every time I act he backs away. He's the one drawing this..." She motioned to the air in front of her, "whatever this is, out." She rubbed the towel on her head faster, making an angry sound, "it's maddening."

Dorian's expression meant to say, 'oh really?' But said nothing.

"Men... Often get frightened when they're not the one to make the first step." Dorian shrugged, "and Blackwall may not look it, he even fooled me at first, but the way he talks to you... I can't say he is anything less than a gentleman." Dorian nudged her with his shoulder, "let him make the first move. Even if it means waiting for him to figure his own 'whatever'" he made the same motion she did, "problems out first."

"I guess this is that thing that I hate working on." She chuckled, combing her messy hair back with her thin fingers.

"And what's that?"

"My patience." She grinned.


	10. Chapter 10 - A Game

The trip to Skyhold was uneventful, even as she heard her companions laugh and joke and banter with one another she didn't feel... Herself. She wasn't one to wait for anyone or anything, she wanted to tell the Warden to grow a pair and confront her about what was going on, whatever WAS going on between them.

She was growing somewhat impatient and somewhat irritated. She would have to blow off some steam later. Maybe drink with Dorian? Or better yet, pranks with Sera. Now that sounded like fun, and she knew Sera would always be up for a good prank or two around Skyhold.

However when she got to Skyhold, Leliana waited for her at the entrance, "We must speak to you, Inquisitor."

"Why this time? What noble's toes did I step on this time?" She groaned.

"It is about the Crows you encountered while you were in the Hinterlands." Leliana narrowed her eyes and walked away, "We will meet you in the war room, soon, Inquisitor."

Evelyn grumbled as she got off her horse and walked it to the stables, which before she had left had barely been set up. Now it looked like mount heaven.

"I can take her from here, Inquisitor." Dennet offered.

"No need. I want to pet my pretty girl anyways." Evelyn smiled but refused his help. He shrugged and lead the others back to their stall.

Evelyn got a pail of water and Dennet's soap that he assured her was safe for the chestnut mare's coat.

She gently took off the saddle, which the mare seemed grateful for and Evelyn smiled, "Wanted that weight off your beautiful shoulders, didn't you? When you get clean, I'm sure you'll feel right as rain in no time."

She sat the pail on a stool and gently poured some water over the mare's coat, gently rubbing the water in.

She began to hum a song she had heard in the tavern. She liked to call it 'Once We Were' but Evelyn didn't know if the minstrel had given it an actual name.

"Inquisitor." Cullen's voice called to her.

She hummed away and began ignoring him.

He began tapping his foot and suddenly it became a game of who would break first. He seemed to forget that she was a rogue and waited patiently for a weakspot when she had a bow in her hands.

She got to the second verse of the song and she heard Cullen sigh loudly.

"Inquisitor." Cullen tried again, he frowned further when she began to whistle instead of hum. Now he knew she was ignoring him.

"Maker's breath." He was truly impatient now as he walked away, well, slightly stomped, but he just wanted to make sure that she was alright.

As it turns out, yes, she was fine.

Cullen's irritation calmed down as he neared the tavern, he knew that her comrades would be there, celebrating another return.

He walked into the tavern and found Blackwall sitting with Iron Bull, Dorian and Varric.

"You could get her flowers, girls like flowers." Varric chided.

"Maker's balls." Blackwall cursed, "Don't you have another book to write?"

"The Warden and The Thief. It'll make a great read, lots of action, suspense... Warden gets the thief, everybody wins..." Varric grinned, "For once."

"No, no. She doesn't seem like one who just likes flowers, Varric." Iron Bull chuckled, "I'm sure she just wants a nice, long, study-"

"Andraste's Pyre, enough!" Blackwall nearly slammed his cup into the table.

"Whoa, there big guy," Iron Bull grinned, "I was going to say dagger. She has what, eleven now, right? She needs another one to make twelve, right?"

Dorian chuckled, "And you can look at it this way, Blackwall: At least when you give her this dagger, it'll be your dagger she's holding. Not some random Antivan's..."

"I'm getting up." Blackwall's patience was at its end. Cullen turned his head to the side to keep himself from laughing, and instead of laughing he released a small cough.

"Blackwall." Cullen addressed the Warden after collecting himself.

"Cullen." The Warden sounded beyond relieved, as his three 'companions' moved out of his way, "What can I do for you?"

"Evelyn is... Well... Ignoring her advisers, again." Cullen was keeping up with Blackwall's pace, and gently pulled him to the side when they were out of the tavern, "I was hoping you would talk to her."

"Why do you and every other person think that she will listen to me?"

"Because if her close friends don't do it, then Leliana will get Cassandra to."

"Cassandra is a close friend." Blackwall crossed his arms, "Ask her."

"I don't want a scene." Cullen admitted with a sigh.

Blackwall resigned with a sigh, "If it'll get me away from those blasted idiots."

They got to the stables only to see that the mare that Evelyn had been bathing was happily in her stall, clean as a noble's shoe.

"Now where could she have gone?" Cullen sighed angrily.

"She couldn't have gone far." Blackwall couldn't help but release a small chuckle, "How hard could it be to find the Inquisitor?"

* * *

><p>"You want me to make you another armor set?" Harrit asked with a quirked eyebrow.<p>

"No, no. Not an entire one. Just the chest piece." Evelyn explained, "Oh, and I was wondering if I could get you and Dagna to work on some new bracers for me?" She grinned, like someone asking for a favor they didn't have.

"I'd love to!" Dagna exclaimed.

Harrit groaned, as if he had a choice.

"Wonderful!" Evelyn grinned, "So let me run a scenario by you: you keep daggers in your boots, on your hips, on your legs and on your back. But suddenly they get taken away. Can you make me a pair of bracers where I can hide daggers? Or some sort of hidden blade stuff?"

"Rough days?" Dagna chuckled, walking to her desk, already working on a design.

"Well you know... Can't afford to be caught off guard." Evelyn shrugged.

"Say no more, Inquisitor." Dagna smiled victoriously, "We'll have them ready for you say... By the end of the week?"

Evelyn picked up the dwarf and spun her around, giving her a tight hug, "You're the best!" She exclaimed before putting the giggling dwarf down, "Thank you, Dagna! Thank you, Harrit!" then she peaked out of the door to the smithy and finding it was clear she quickly bolted.

Dagna sighed dreamily, "That will never get old."

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><p>"I don't think I've played such an aggravating game of cat and mouse before." Cullen grumbled.<p>

"Then you obviously did not have siblings." Blackwall mused.

"I have a brother and two sisters." Cullen defended.

"You? Really?" Blackwall chuckled, "Ah, there it is. The defensive brother face."

Cullen chuckled, "Do I really?"

"Well, you know, to one who was an older brother before, I made that face at one time." Blackwall reminisced, "Her armor was punctured pretty bad, she might have gone to Harrit for repairs."

"Then it seems the Blacksmith is our next objective." Cullen kept up with Blackwall's walk.

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><p>"Inquisitor, why are you sharpening your daggers up there?" Solas asked, looking up from his desk at the rogue who had quietly invaded his space, until now.<p>

"Well you see-"

"Avoiding the war room again, Inquisitor?" The elf slyly asked a smirk crawling on his face.

"Always." Evelyn chuckled.

"I'm sure they will look here eventually, Inquisitor."

"Nah." She smirked, sharpening her daggers again, "There's no reason to look here anyways. They know I don't want to bother my Fade expert." She began humming the song again.

"You cannot hide forever, Inquisitor." Solas chided, shaking his head, going back to his books.

"Oh yeah?" She showed a moment of maturity by sticking out her tongue, "Watch me." and with that she sheathed her dagger and put the whetstone away and swiftly climbed down darting up to the 'library'.

"Inquisitor." Fiona smiled, walking up to the rogue, "Is something wrong?"

"Just playing a game." Evelyn grinned, putting a finger over her lips.

Fiona could only laugh slightly, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for us at Redcliffe."

"Fiona... I..."

"Ah, Commander! Blackwall!" Solas chimed, "What can I do for you this afternoon?"

"Yes, Fiona, you're welcome, but I gotta go." She grinned and then ran silently to the exit where Cullen's office was. She could use the battlements to take the short cut into the tavern and be sodding drunk to not even be able to walk. A glorious way to end the game of hide and seek. It was perfect. Almost. Did she really feel like drinking?

Sera needed visiting, right?

"She was here, yes." Solas nodded.

"Do you know where she went?" Cullen asked, smoothing his hair.

"She went upstairs to the library, but rogues are adept at hiding. If she is hiding then she does not want to be found."

"We have to try." Cullen sighed.

"Then I wish you luck. For you will truly need it."

Cullen shot a glare at Solas then looked at Blackwall, "Maybe it is time to get Cassandra?"

"And here I thought you said you didn't want a scene?" Blackwall laughed.

"She brought it on herself." Cullen muttered angrily.

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><p>"You what!?" Cassandra was furious, "You lost her?"<p>

"We didn't lose her, Cassandra-" Cullen tried to soothe the raging Phentaghast.

"Maker's breath, Commander!"

"She is just proving difficult to find."

Sera watched this from her room and snickered, "What's Cassandra got her knickers in a twist this time?"

Evelyn grinned, "Oh you know. Things."

"Ooooh, is her gracious ladybits avoiding the war room again?" Sera giggled, "Good place to be, here."

"We'll see how long that lasts." Evelyn snickered, staying low to the ground, "Let me know when they move."

"We'll make a plan and we'll split up." Cassandra barked, "Blackwall, you know her best, check the places you think she would be, I'll check her room, and Cullen, keep checking everywhere. The main point is to not get Leliana involved."

"She's not going to be pacified for long, Cassandra." Cullen warned.

"You would be surprised at what magic Josiphine has at her disposal." Cassandra chuckled.

"So Cassandra is going to your room, Blackwall is checking around since apparently he knows you best and they're just sending Cullen around." Sera informed Evelyn, who didn't move from where she was laying, armor and all.

Sera sat next to her, "So what's with it?"

"With what?"

"If you want something, why don't you go get it?" Sera asked before seeing Evelyn's confused expression, "You and Beardy."

"Pfft." Evelyn scoffed, "There's nothing between me and Beardy."

"But you want there to be something between you and Beardy."

"He's Void-bent on there not being anything between us, so I'm letting him figure out where he wants to be. And then we'll see."

"Pffffft. You're daft, lady. Waitin' for him to make up his bloody mind when you're the one who's got him looking at your arse."

"What?"

"You heard me." Sera deviously grinned, "Stares. At. Your. Arse."

"He does not!" Evelyn was beet red.

"Look at you, turnin' red!" Sera cackled, "But yes. He does. Catch him in the act one day." She dared.

There was a moment of silence before Evelyn heard the minstrel play her favorite song.

"Well... It seems I need to leave." Evelyn said getting up from where she was sitting.

"Awww, what, why?" Sera gawked.

"Hide and seek." Evelyn winked before sliding off the roof of the tavern.

Sera shook her head, "She's mad." And giggled.

Blackwall came through not moments later a cross look on his face.

"Beardy!" Sera exclaimed and jumped up to hug him.

He stopped her and looked at her, "Have you seen Evelyn?" He asked.

"Oooo, she must've made you mad if you're calling her by her first name." Sera observed but said nothing.

"Sera."

"Yeah, I seen her." Sera shrugged, "But she didn't tell me where she was off to."

He turned around, "She needs to be found, Sera."

"Sheesh. Between you and the advisers no wonder she needs to hide." Sera plopped on her couch.

"What do you mean?" Blackwall succumbed to his curiosity.

"Well, think about it; you people don't really leave her alone, right? Advisers always houndin' her for information, even if she don't wanna give it." She shrugged, "And then you, what's the deal between you and her, Beardy? You obviously can't keep your eyes off her nicely- almost perfect-"

"Sera!"

Sera giggled, "I knew you were starin'." She stretched out her arms, "Seriously though. She wants you to want her. And you do. I see it in your eyes." Sera yawned, "If you guys both want, I just don't get what's stoppin' you. It's not like Cassandra's standing near Evelyn with a shield over her-"

"Maker's balls." Blackwall gave up, turning around, leaving a giggling Sera.

Evelyn had stealthily made it to the kitchen, grabbing a small basket and throwing cheese, bread, some grapes, strawberries, a few apples, some extra snacks for herself, two glasses and a wine from her special cellar.

She nodded and smirked at her treasures before making her way back to the barn.

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><p><strong>AN : Not sure if I got Sera's voice right. She's realllly confusing to write for. If you have any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them! **


	11. Chapter 11 - Happy to Oblige

It was an hour later when Cullen, Cassandra, and Blackwall had given up the search. Solas was right. Rogues are adept at hiding. If she does not want to be found, then she won't be found. Even in a small fortress.

She had finished the small snacks as Blackwall trudged back into the barn. She giggled at his frowning expression.

"Hey." She grinned.

Blackwall whipped around and stomped towards her, "Maker's balls what is wrong with you?" He asked, his tone angry.

She took a backwards step with a smirk, "What do you mean?"

"That game of hide and go seek." He followed her step.

"What game?" a wider smirk.

"Evelyn..." He lost his angry tone.

"I wasn't playing a game." She grinned, lying right through her teeth.

"Don't do that to me again." He gripped her shoulders tighter than he meant to.

She gritted her teeth when his thumb practically jammed itself on the stab wound.

"Well..." She said after a moment of pain shooting through her arm, "Let me make it up to you." She felt the butterflies in her stomach. Flirting... Flirting she could do. This... This was different. So different.

He saw the attempt at keeping pain at bay and realized that his hands were causing it. He took them off of her shoulders like her shoulders were the fires of a smithy.

"Evelyn, do you have any idea what you're doing?" Blackwall looked at her, his heart thudding in his chest.

She took a step back, he followed and she let a grin crawl across her face again.

"No." She leaned in, "Tell me." After a moment she playfully rolled her eyes and leaned in further before pulling away smoothly.

She was making him absolutely crazy. And the glint in her eyes told him she knew it. But he couldn't love it anymore than he already did.

"Do you really want to do this? You... Won't be able to have a normal life with me."

She turned around and smirked, "How about we just start with a quiet lunch." She smirked, turning around and gently taking his hand and sitting him down next to the basket of treats she brought.

Upstairs they were alone.

"How long have you been...?" Blackwall looked shocked.

"Planning this?" She placed the small basket in the middle of them, taking out the goblets and bottle of wine, "Good question." She chuckled, "An hour?"

"I doubt I could come up with something half as good in a single day." Blackwall chuckled as he watched her features soften.

He watched how quickly the fragile skin of the Inquisitor was cast away and showed him who Evelyn really was. He saw as she nervously undid the string around her bracers. The only times he had seen her without her armor on was when Cassandra had to stop the bleeding from the stab wound in her shoulder. He had certainly never seen her hands this shaky before. It was a miracle how she had even pulled the string to undo the first knot.

He put his hand on hers, "You don't have to do this."

Her green eyes looked at him for a moment, fear turning into resolve. "Yes I do." She muttered, but he didn't move his hands.

"Evelyn." His eyes were soft on hers, "Your hands are shaking." He stated.

"Oh." She nervously laughed, "That's what they're doing."

He shook his head with a chuckle, "Allow me?" He asked, looking at her.

She bit her lip and her green eyes darted downwards to her bracers and she took in a breath, as if preparing herself for some onslaught. She nodded.

He slowly undid her bracers, gently placing each one next to her.

"Gloves too?" He asked.

She slowly breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes. Gloves too."

"Are you ready to see your hands?" Blackwall joked.

Her heart thudded in her ears as he gently slipped off her gloves to reveal her pale skin, paler than her face.

"How long have you had your hands covered, Evee?" Blackwall asked softly, taking his rough hands and gently stroking her amazingly soft hands.

"Since..." She took a breath, "since I sailed from Hercinia."

"I thought you were from Ostwick?" Blackwall asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am." She nodded, watching him reach for a grape, she gently smacked his hand away and plucked one up with her fingers instead, placing the small roung fruit on his heavily bearded lips.

"Then how -" He chuckled and took the grape from her fingers, kissing the tips of her fingers as he did so.

"That is a long story that you don't want to hear." She gently said, tapping his nose with one of her fingers.

"You've got to tell it eventually." Blackwall joked, "Varric won't let you change history without the world knowing who Inquisitor Evelyn Trevelyan was." He watched as she poured the drink from the mysteriously unlabeled bottle.

"Evelyn Leah Trevelyan." She sighed, "Yup. That's me."

"That's your whole name?" Blackwall asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded, "Sadly." She chuckled, "Oh wait, I forgot, it's Inquisitor Evelyn Leah Trevelyan." She rolled her eyes, "Can't forget my first name." She joked, taking a sip out of the goblet after handing one to Blackwall.

He recognized the smell immediately. Chasind Sack Mead. The bitter aftertaste making him go for a strawberry, which Evelyn slapped his hand away again, taking a stiletto from her belt and carving out the leaves with expert precision.

He found it odd, that someone who held daggers with smoothness couldn't pull a string on her bracers to save her life.

She laid the strawberry on his bottom lip, distracting him from his thoughts. After eating the strawberry gently from her fingers, he took the dagger from her hands and kissed the tips of her fingers, then kissed her knuckles.

Her green eyes sparkled and he saw a smile. Her true smile.

She released a giggle, "For a man I found wandering the woods," She ran her fingers through his hair, "You're oddly charming."

Her first words that she had said to him. He smiled remembering the effect they had on him then, and then realizing the effect they had on him now was almost ten times that.

"Evelyn... I'm glad that you found me when you did." He started then took a sip of the heavy honey mead that was in his goblet, "I can't regret my life now that I've met you."

"Blackwall..."

"I'm sorry I pushed you away."

"Shh." She smiled, pulling his face to her again, "I'm still here. Challenge accepted, right?" She chuckled.

Blackwall found her eyes again and found himself smiling, "Yeah... Challenge accepted." He snaked his arm around her waist.

"Blackwall what-" the heavy honey mead was on her tongue, blue berries on her lips, and the scent of the fire was in her hair. He ran his rough hands through her brown locks and brought her closer to him.

He was careful, Maker knows he didn't want to screw up the only thing that made his lying life worth living. Maker knows he wasn't worthy enough for her affection. He wasn't even worthy enough to carry Blackwall's name.

But this woman... Made him feel like he could take on all of Thedas.

They pulled away panting, her eyes nearly as large as saucers.

"Evelyn..." He gently huffed.

"Shut up and kiss me again."

He was more than happy to oblige.

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Hehe, for those of you who have read Happy To Oblige my Oneshot I wrote, then you'd know that I took the last two lines from it. ;) I'd also like to apologize for my absence, I've been dealing with the death of one of my cats, and another one ran away (we looked for him for days). But I need a distraction, and you need something to read! As always, I adore reviews! Please review! I love seeing happy readers! **


	12. Chapter 12 - Riddles and Chivalry

**A/N: I apologize for the absurd wait, dear readers. Life can seriously kick you in the butt. **

* * *

><p>The quiet lunch date that Evelyn had planned didn't go exactly according to plan, but she couldn't complain. The only thing she chastised herself on was her hands shaking when she tried undoing the laces on her bracers.<p>

Afternoon turned into evening, and Blackwall had his hands wrapped around her waist as she leaned against his chest with the bowl of treats nearly gone.

"This took you one hour to think of?" Blackwall chuckled.

She liked the vibration of his laugh in his chest.

"Well..." She nervously laughed, "Give or take." She smiled contentedly.

She grabbed an apple and began cutting it into wedges.

"I just started taking stuff from the kitchen at first, putting them in the basket." She shrugged, "It wasn't until I grabbed the mead and goblets that I started planning it." She chuckled, then leaned back into him and slowly fed him the small apple slice.

"My lady, you are devious." He said fondly after a moment of chewing and swallowing.

Evelyn smiled and shrugged, "I just do what I can."

He took her hands in his again and 'helped' her cut an apple slice for her. He knew that she was going to feed him another slice, and he felt how she sliced it. When she was done, he couldn't help but lean his head in and gently kiss the tip of her ear.

She stopped slicing and let out a small unexpected laugh, She then covered her mouth slightly but continued chuckling, "I'm sorry." she said now that she had control of her voice again, "It's just... Your beard was tickling my ear." She admitted.

Blackwall took the apple slice from her hands and brought the fruit to her lips instead, which she happily began to eat, gently and teasingly nipping at the tips of his fingers.

"Perhaps I should get rid of it then?" He jested.

She turned around and pointed the dagger at him, "No." She tried to say with a serious face, but a smile broke out, "Besides," She lowered the dagger, "I think it's part of your charm." She kissed him on the cheek.

"All of the power and charm of the Grey Wardens." He stroked his beard, "Well, I can't get rid of all the power held within..." His hand snaked around her waist again, "And I can't get rid of all my charm..." She smiled and let out a small laugh before meeting his lips again.

"It would be such a travesty." She chuckled, pulling away.

He smiled and poured another glass of the mead, which they were almost done with, "I had no idea you were a fan of mead."

"I just picked it from my collection." She admitted with a guilty smile, "But it's much better than that swill at the tavern."

Blackwall heartily laughed, "I can't believe you drink that swill!"

"Dorian and I are still trying to determine what's in it." Evelyn grinned, taking a sip of the mead.

"Any breakthroughs?" Blackwall mused.

"Not a one." She then looked at him, "Well... Of course it would be easier if we had a third party..." She cooed.

"No." Blackwall laughed, "Ask me anything you want, but I am not drinking that."

"Oh come on." She pleaded, "It's not that..." She laughed, "I can't even say that with a straight face."

"Do I have to deal with two drunkards with bad taste?" He teased.

"I can just take this honey mead elsewhere if that's what you think." She teased back.

"As long as you're here I don't care what we're drinking." He smiled, kissing her forehead, "Except that awful swill from the tavern."

"Damn. I thought I'd get you on that one."

"Not today, Evee."

"Maybe someday." She readjusted in her sitting position.

"Maybe." He kissed the back of her head, "Maybe."

* * *

><p>"Cassandra, you're staying here." Evelyn pointed at her.<p>

Cassandra coughed, "No I can still-" Another fit of coughs.

"Mother Giselle?" Evelyn asked, biting her lip in concern.

"I've seen this illness at the refugee camps many times before." the revered mother patted her hand in comfort, "Cassandra will be fine in a day or so."

Evelyn let go a sigh of relief, "See, Cassandra? Nothing to worry about. It'll just be me, Varric, Dorian and Blackwall doing a standard patrol in the Hinterlands."

"The last time we were doing that-" Coughs, "You were kidnapped. I will not have that happen again."

"Buddy system, remember Cassandra? We've got it covered." Evelyn laughed, "You just rest. We'll be back before you know it and then you can go back to stabbing Venatori in the face."

Cassandra let a laugh escape, "Alright. But becareful."

Evelyn nodded and got up, "Thank you, Mother Giselle." And with that went to the stables where her companions were waiting.

"Is she-?"

"She's fine, Hero. Seeker's tough." Varric waved him off.

"She was insisting that she could still fight." Evelyn chuckled with a shake of her head, "Though I'm sure I'd be in the same boat."

"You would be kicking and screaming for us to take you somewhere." Dorian snickered, "You hate being in one place for very long."

"So I heard you had Dagna and Harrit working on a special project?" Varric asked as they began to trot out of Skyhold.

"I do, yes." She was excited about it.

"What is it?" Varric asked.

"It wouldn't be special if I told you, now would it?" She stuck her tongue out at the dwarf.

"If it's another pair of blades, I'm going to hold an intervention." Varric joked, "Your obsessing with collecting daggers has become almost unhealthy."

"Collecting precaution has become unhealthy?" She mused, looking at her compatriots, "Why was I not told this?" She chuckled, "Besides, I don't have that many."

"Do I need to go through your collection?" Varric asked.

"If you'd like, though it's not going to do you much good." She stuck her tongue out.

"You've got two at your hips, two in your boots, two at your back, one you keep under your pillow, two on your legs, and then two extras." Varric was counting on his hands, "how do you keep up with all of them?"

"All precautionary." She argued, "I name my blades, of course."

"Yeah," He scoffed, "because that's not weird. Hero, do you hear this?" Varric asked, "Be careful she doesn't keep one in her bodice."

"Is naming your weapon that strange? You have Bianca, don't you?" Blackwall pointed out, "Where she keeps her daggers is none of your concern, Varric." Blackwall chuckled.

"I have one Bianca. She's got eleven daggers." Varric pointed out.

"Oh so you would know then?" Dorian wiggled his eyebrows at Blackwall.

"What is put on a table, cut, but never eaten?" Evelyn asked, nearly shouting. The topic was making her stomach do flips. And not the good kind.

"Keep your secrets." Varric stuck his tongue out, "For now."

"Riddles?" Dorian clapped his hand, "I do love riddles."

"Then answer mine." Evelyn sighed with relief, she didn't want to continue the conversation.

"Hmm, 'what is put on the table, cut, but never eaten?'" Dorian repeated, stroking his mustache.

"Inquisitor, that's easy. It's cards." Varric waved it off, "After a fall I will takeover. All life will stall or at least grow slower. What am I?"

"Winter, dear dwarf. You are winter." Dorian smiled, "Ice magic, you know." He winked to his companions.

"An unfair advantage." Blackwall chuckled.

"Thousands of ears I have side by side, yet there's not a thing I can hear. What am I?" Dorian smirked.

"Thousands of ears?" Evelyn pouted, she certainly wasn't going to get this one. "What has thousands-"

"Ears of corn." Blackwall confidently said.

"So you do have a brain in there after all? I am so relieved." Dorian teased with a small laugh.

Blackwall huffed slightly, "Alright Dorian," Blackwall smirked, "You may catch me, but you cannot throw me. What am I?"

"What in the name of the Maker sort of riddle is that?"

"Too complicated for a Tevinter Altus?" Blackwall sneered.

"I'll come up with it, don't you worry, Warden." Dorian snapped.

"You're smirking, Inquisitor." Varric pointed with a chuckle.

"Oh? I was just attempting to hold in my laughter." She grinned, "And I know this one Dorian."

"Do enlighten us, Inquisitor." Dorian crossed his arms.

"Cassandra." She answered, "Cassandra has a cold. Something caught but not thrown away." She explained with a smile.

"Seeker has a cold? She's going to hate that." Varric snickered.

"Why don't we stop here for a while?" Blackwall looked around as they came upon a small clearing in the snow. They hadn't made it out of the mountains yet.

"So you name your daggers, do you?" Varric asked, shaking his head smiling, getting off of the small pony that they had acquired.

"I do." She went to throw her leg around to get off, but saw that Blackwall was standing below, offering his hand with a smile.

"My lady." He simply said.

Evelyn was surprised at his sudden appearance and slightly blushed as she took his hand and he helped her from her horse.

"Riddles and Chivalry in one day." Dorian smirked, laying a blanket for him to sit on, "I never thought I'd see it in you, Blackwall."


	13. Chapter 13 - Reputation to Hold

"So seriously, your daggers." Varric was beyond curious, "You name them? All of them?"

"Yeah." She smiled sitting next to Blackwall, "Why is that so weird?"

"You've got eleven of them. It's like..."

"Varric, I'm a rogue. I got a mind for memory. Names just help." Evelyn smirked, "I'd expect you to understand."

"You wound me!" Varric mocked offense.

"So what are the names of your blades?" Blackwall was curious now.

"Maker, you too?" She chuckled, "Fine. Fine, fine, fine." She got her knife carrier and unrolled it, pulling out the first one. "Oblivion. Black leather hilt, obsidian blade with just a slight

gentle curve to go," She placed the dagger at Blackwall's throat, "Right around the throat." She smirked at him and pulled away, "I sleep with it under my pillow."

"So... Not sneaking up on you at night." Varric chuckled nervously, "Got it."

"I used to sleep with Sweet Release as well, but it broke in half while I was on my way to..." She cleared her throat, distracting herself from her thoughts.

"So what happened to that dagger that the Crow gave you?" Dorian asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"You mean Sink?" She pulled the blade out, "a stiletto made of bloodstone with a deepstalker hide hilt."

"So... Where is it's partner?" Varric asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Blink and Sink." She giggled, it sounded so silly, "I had Blink for a while," she looked at it for a while, "Blink made of dawnstone with a bronto hide hilt."

"Dawnstone and Bloodstone? Why do you have daggers with the brittlest metals?" Blackwall asked incredulously.

"Hold out your hand." She commanded.

"What?"

"Hold. Out. Your. Hand."

"Uh... Okay, I gu- Ow! Maker's balls!" Blackwall cursed as she gently punctured his hand with both daggers.

"Armor penetration." She smirked, "You'll be fine, you big baby."

Varric and Dorian snickered, "That's what you get, Hero."

"It seems I'm going to have to apologize to Bull." Blackwall mumbled, rubbing his hand.

"And there you go, Blink and Sink." She giggled.

She put them back in their respective spots and rolled up her armory and put it back in it's pouch.

"You boys ready to go?" She asked turning around and putting her hands on her hips.

Blackwall grumbled but got up as did Varric and Dorian and they were all trotting back down the mountain.

"So what about you, Blackwall? Got a name for the sword?" Varric asked with a grin.

"Slasher?" Then shook his head, "Gasher?" Shook his head again and grinned, "How about Pokey?"

Evelyn couldn't contain her laughter anymore.

"Go with Pokey." Varric chuckled, "You seem like a Pokey guy."

"I think that's enough making fun of our Inquisitor now." Dorian said through snickers.

"No, no, they're not..." She struggled not to laugh, "They're not making fun of me." She took in a breath and couldn't help grinning, Maker, she loved her new family.

The moments of silence didn't last very long before Dorian spoke up again.

"I believe it was your turn, Inquisitor."

"Hmm... Let me see..." Evelyn tapped her chin for a moment, "I am the beginning of sorrow and the end of sickness. There's no happiness without me nor is there sadness. I am always in risk, yet

never in danger. You will find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness."

"That's a complicated one, Inquisitor..." Varric sounded impressed.

No one said anything for a moment.

"But I think I'm going to have to go with the letter S." Varric smirked.

Dorian threw his hands up, "Of course a writer would get that one!"

"Calm down, Sparkler." Varric chuckled, "You saw me where I never was and where I could not be. And yet within that very place, my face you often see. What am I?"

"Did the difficulty get raised when I wasn't paying attention?" Dorian sounded slightly distraught.

"Oh, you'll get one soon, Dorian." Evelyn patted his shoulder, "Can't get them all the time."

"Your reflection." Blackwall said after trotting through the snow for a moment.

"You surprise me, Hero." Varric patted his back, "Didn't think you were into this riddle stuff."

"I'm not." Blackwall shrugged, "Not usually." He glanced over at Evelyn who gave him a slightly knowing smile, "My turn is it?" He sighed, thinking of one.

"I got it: It dances and skips, it's read in the eyes but it cheats with the hips. If it meets its match it's easily caught, but it's worth nothing if it is bought. What is it?"

"What sort of riddle is that, Blackwall?" Dorian looked at the Warden like he grew three extra heads.

"Are you even trying, Sparkler?" Varric snickered.

Evelyn looked at Blackwall for a moment, his hazel eyes meeting her bright green ones. She heard her heart skip a beat in her ears, she felt it dance in her chest.

She smiled softly and took his hand in hers for a moment before kissing his knuckle.

"Aw, look. A public display of affection." Varric cooed.

"The answer, gentlemen." Evelyn smiled brightly, "is the heart."

"Riddles, chivalry, and romantic actions all in one day." Dorian smiled, "I think you've surprised everyone today."

Blackwall kissed her hand as a reward, then looked ahead, "Yes, well, don't let it get around, I have a reputation to hold."

"Me? I would never!" Dorian played mocked offense.

"You're the first two I'm suspecting." Blackwall pointed at Varric and Dorian with a scolding look.

"Well, it's good to see you two have gotten your... Whatever the problem was fixed." Dorian scoffed with a musing tone and a roll of his eyes, "Finally." He added with a chuckle.

"Hmm... What riddle could I come up with?" Evelyn thoughtfully said, tapping her chin again, "How about: What is broken when it's not held?"

"I don't know which is worse, your long riddles or your obscenely short ones." Varric sighed with aggravation.

"Maybe you shouldn't be allowed to play?" Dorian chuckled.

"Oh come on, it's not that hard." Evelyn rolled her eyes.

Dorian playfully narrowed his eyes at Evelyn but couldn't hold it for long, "Fine, fine, fine. Let me think."

A moment passed between the four, and Evelyn took in the sights of the endless mountains of snow. She tried to remember when she felt snow in her hands. She frowned when she found that she

didn't remember what snow felt like. She felt it crunch beneath her feet when she walked on it, but... She couldn't remember what snow felt like. She sighed after a moment and watched her breath

come out in a plume.

"It's a promise, isn't it?" Dorian asked after a moment.

She snapped out of her momentary lapse and she grinned at Dorian, "See? You were going to get it eventually." She laughed, "Am I still banned from playing?"

Dorian chuckled, "No. I guess not. My turn now: Thirty men, but only two women, yet these two hold the most power. Dressed in black and white they could fight forever. Who are they?"

"Chess pieces." Evelyn grinned.

"How did you-"

She shrugged, "It was easy."

"If you ever went to Tevinter, I would say your wit is already prepared." Dorian smiled.

"Hmm. Maybe I will take over Teventer after Corypheus is dead." Evelyn grinned, "But Orlais needs to be taken care of first. Orlais is on the brink of a civil war." She groaned, "I can't wait to

kill something."

"Pent up frustration, dear Inquisitor?" Dorian teased.

Her back stiffened at the implication. She couldn't say that she was having those sorts of thoughts because... She was only human. But when it came down to it, the fear in her mind spiked.

"Dorian." Blackwall warned.

"Alright, big man, alright." Dorian backed down.

She was grateful. But she knew later on she'd be bugged by her response. She shouldn't have acted like that.

It had gotten near dark when they found a cave, began setting up camp, and the next interruption of silence occurred.

"Alright, Hero." It was Varric, "What do we talk about?"

"What do you mean?" Blackwall asked, he had become acustomed to Varric calling him Hero. In a way it boosted his ego just a little more, gave him the confidence he wanted, knowing that he could

do good.

"You don't want to talk about yourself, I can respect that." Varric was offering a peace treaty, "So what do we talk about, then?"

Blackwall was silent for a moment, "I don't suppose you follow jousting."

"I'm a Free Marcher, remember?" Varric chuckled, "We invented jousting."

"That's not actually true, you know." Blackwall pointed out.

"It is!" Varric argued, "Before us, no one ever thought to push people off things with large sticks. Historical fact."

Blackwall chuckled, "Alright. Greatest knight in history: My money's on Lady Honorine Chastaine." He nodded, "She's never come close to unhorsing more riders than her." He was beaming, "I've

seen her joust live, and I have to tell you up close she has magnificent..." Evelyn shot him a look and he weakly smiled, "Technique."

Evelyn playfully scoffed, "Uh-huh." She teased, she knew that Honorine Chastaine was quite buxom and it made her feel slightly... Flat in comparison.

"Her victory in the grand tourney of Tantervale is pretty legendary, but I'd go with Revata." Varric nodded, stroking his chin, "Winning three consecutive grand tourneys! Who does that?" His

face lit up, "Hey, you know they're holding a grand tourney in Markham soon. I think we should all go." His tone was giddy, "Inquisition Road Trip!"

Markham... Maker's breath. No. She couldn't go back.

"There's go to be... Trouble or something near Markham." Blackwall nodded, approving of Varric's idea.

"No." She tried using her 'Fearsome Inquisitor' voice, but it just came out wispy.

And thus was ignored.

"I'll talk to Josephine." Varric grinned, "I bet she could pull some strings."


End file.
